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Organist Jack McDuff has long had a powerful style and the two former LPs that are combined on this single CD offer some strong examples of his accessible playing. In both cases McDuff is joined by guitarist Kenny Burrell (in fact one of the two sets was originally under Burrell's name), drummer Joe Dukes and occasionally Ray Barretto on congas. In addition Harold Vick is on tenor for most selections and Eric Dixon guests on tenor and flute during three songs. Highlights include a driving "How High the Moon," "Love Walked In" and a pair of original blues: "Smut" and "Our Miss Brooks." McDuff and Burrell work together quite well. This 76-minute CD is easily recommended to fans of the jazz organ.

Wes Montgomery - Far Wes (1958) {Pacific Jazz CDP 7 94475 2 rel 1990}
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© 1958-59, 1990 Pacific Jazz / Capitol Records | CDP 7 94475 2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Guitar

Far Wes contains some of guitarist Wes Montgomery's first recordings; in fact, only three small-group songs pre-date these performances. The then-obscure guitarist is heard in two different quintets, both of which include his brothers Buddy (on piano) and Monk (playing electric bass). The earlier set has Harold Land's tenor as a lead voice, while altoist Pony Poindexter takes his place on the later date, Wes' sound was already quite recognizable and he contributed six originals that alternate with Harold Land's "Hymn for Carl" and four standards.

Bobby Hutcherson - Farewell Keystone (1982) {Theresa TRCD 124 rel 1988}
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© 1982, 1988 Theresa Records / Bellaphon | TRCD 124
Jazz / Post Bop / Vibraphone

Recorded a year before San Francisco's legendary club Keystone Korner (which was open for 11 years) closed, this live set features tenor-saxophonist Harold Land with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson (who co-led a group with him in the 1970's) and trumpeter Oscar Brashear (who has often teamed up with Land during the past 15 years). With pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Higgins completing the sextet, it is not surprising that the music is hard bop-oriented and of consistent high quality.

This 16-disc set contains what is without a doubt the most distinguished collection of Mahler performances ever to have been assembled in one place. DG has sensibly collected all of Bernstein's Mahler for Polygram labels, including the London "Das Lied von der Erde," and all of the orchestral song cycles: "Song of a Wayfarer," "Kindertotenlieder," "Rückert-Lieder," and "Des Knaben Wunderhorn." All of these recordings have been issued separately to general critical acclaim, and despite a veritable warehouse of new Mahler discs in the '90s, Bernstein's versions by and large still reign supreme.

On the eve of his centenary in 2018, Sony Classical releases the most important collection, Leonard Bernstein’s classic American Columbia recordings, remastered from their original 2- and multi-track analogue tapes. This has allowed for the creation of a natural balance (for example, between the orchestra and solo instruments) that brings the quality of these half-century-old recordings, excellent for their time, up to the standards of today’s audiophiles. In addition, there has been a meticulous restoration of some earlier masterings in which LP surface noise was too rigorously eliminated at the expense of the original brilliance.